Her Name was Supi yaw lat
by Stutley Constable
Summary: Pintel tells Elizabeth of a time when he was not so... ugly. Inspired by Kipling's poem Mandalay.


**Legal Note:** I do not own any of the characters associated with Pirates of the Carribean. I do not have any legal right to use them or any other proprietary words originating from these movies. This story was done just for the fun of it. Not for profit. If you like it please tell me. If you don't like it please tell me why with particulars but not excessive detail.

**Summary:** Pintel tells Elizabeth of a time when he was not so... ugly.

**Her Name was Supi-yaw-lat**

"What's that you have there, Mr. Pintel?" Elizabeth Turner asked. She had seen him standing at the rail for the better part of an hour looking out across the waves as the _Black Pearl_ made way from Shipwreck Cove towards the Caribbean and home. Pintel had looked sad or perhaps just very thoughtful. It was the first time she had taken note of him in such a light and such a mood. The sun was setting and he didn't seem to have heard her for he did not turn around at first. But then he rubbed the back of a grubby hand across his mouth and rubbed at his eye as if there was something in it.

"It's naught but a bit of ivory, Miss," Pintel finally said. Without facing her he held out a small, yellowed pendant carved in the shape of a lotus blossom hung on a silver chain. The workmanship was very fine, indeed.

Elizabeth took the little pendant and held it up in the fading light.

"It's beautiful," she said. "Where did you get it?"

"I made it." Pintel cleared his throat and seemed to force a cheery tone into his voice. "A long time ago. I made it."

Elizabeth was impressed. She knew that many sailors were talented and often would occupy the long, dull hours with scrimshaw, but she had never suspected that Pintel would have such skill nor that he would ever carve so delicate a piece of jewelry as this.

"It's very fine, Mr. Pintel," she told him. "You should do more of them. You might be able to sell them for a nice profit."

"Naw, Miss," Pintel said taking the pendant back from her as if he didn't want to part with it for long. He gazed at it a moment before saying, "Don't do much carvin' no more. This was the last bit I ever did."

Something was troubling him, Elizabeth could tell. Something about the necklace.

"Who did you carve it for?" she asked.

Pintel shot her a surprised look before he blushed and cast his eyes back to the necklace. He smiled ruefully with a touch of the sadness she had seen before.

"I wasn't always like you see me, Miss," the old sailor said. "Not always ugly. That's 'ow the sea left me. And the life. Once, a long time ago, Miss, I was an honest sailor 'board of a frigate. We made port in Mandalay. Part of a squadron, we was. Keeping the French in check and all. Well, there were a girl name o' Supi-yaw-lat. Pretty as a queen, she was and me with me pigtail and me swagger. I saw 'er there by an old idol. You wouldn't think it to look at me now but then I weren't 'alf bad. I smiled when I caught 'er eye and she was so sweet, Miss. She wore a yellow petticoat and 'er little cap, it was green. I remember she 'ad a broke tooth right 'ere." Pintel pointed to his own mouth indicating which tooth it had been. "There was so much right 'bout 'er that that didn't matter. We talked. She didn't speak much English and I couldn't say much in Burmese but we talked anyway. I snuck off a couple nights when the ship was in port, just to see 'er. She was always glad when I popped by her little shack of a house. She lived with her mother and I would bring things for them. Nothing much, just an egg or two and some salt pork. Next time I were in port I done it again. And she was just as glad to see me. Well, the squadron was on station for a few years there and every time I 'ad a chance I would go by to see Supi-yaw-lat. It ended up that we'd decided to get married, you see? I got permission from the captain and all. She was to be me wife an' when we was to be sent home I could bring 'er along."

Pintel stopped talking for a moment as though he were holding back something. Elizabeth touched him on the arm and he looked up. His yellowed eyes were moist with unshed tears. He swallowed hard and sniffed, getting mastery of himself again.

"We was gone from port for four months, Miss. Plenty of time to finish this." His voice was husky. "There'd been a storm. A bad one. I din't think nothin' of it. I just got a few things together and as soon as I 'ad leave I shot straight over to 'er 'ouse. Only, it weren't there no more. Whole street was a mess. 'Ouses washed away. Washed out to sea 'cause o' the rain and the wind. Never saw 'er again. She's out there somewhere, Miss. Gone."

Pintel had turned to look out over the waves again. His whole frame vibrated as if he were ready to leap over the rail to go and look for his lost love. Elizabeth laid her hand gently on his shoulder and drew him back ever the slightest bit from the rail.

"I know how you feel, Pintel," she said softly and then kissed his bald pate. She closed his fingers over the little ivory flower before she turned to go below leaving him to his grief while she attended to her own.


End file.
